Auxiliary attachment for signal-boxes.



(Application filed May 22, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shem I.

(No Model.)

Inventor itne W sses Attys.

Tu: norms PETERS cu. PHmouma. wAsmuaTom n. c.

No. 663.926. Patented nee. l8, I960. B. DEHMEN. AUXILIARY ATTACHMENT FURSIGNAL BOXES.

(Application filed May 22, 1900.]

3 SheetsSheet 2,

(No Model;

In eh tor Attys.

Witnesse 7 I TH: NORRI5 PETERS no monxpmc wAsmNaTqN, n. c,

No. 653,926. Pdf'nted 080.1% ,1900.

B. OEHMEN.

AUXILIARY ATTACHMENT FOR SIGNAL BOXES.

[Application filed May 22. 1900.) @No Model.)

3 Sheets8heet 3 Inven r.

' AWW Attys.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

BARTHOLOMEW OEHMEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE GAME- WELLFIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUXILIARY ATTACHMENT FOR SIGNAL-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,926, dated December18, 1900.

Application filed May 22, 1900. Serial No. 17,538. (No model.)

To ctZZ whont it may concern.-

Be i t known that LBARrHoLoMEW OEHMEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in AuxiliaryAttachments for Signal-Boxes, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in auxiliaryapparatus for street signal-boxes; and the improvements are particularlydesigned for use with fire-alarm-telegraph street-boxes of the standardGamewell type. With such boxes the clock-train is normally wound and isarranged to be tripped at the box, so as to rotate a signal-wheel thedesired number of turns to send in the correct signal.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple and efficientauxiliary apparatus particularly adapted for use in connection with abox of this type,wherein certainty of operation will be secured andwherein the auxiliary circuit will be broken to notify the 2 5 operatorof the reception of the signal at the box only after the box hascommenced to operate and the signal is being transmitted.

In order that the invention may be better understood, attention isdirected to the'aco companying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of so much of astandard Gamewell box as is necessary for an understanding of my presentimprovements,

5 the doors for the outer and inner boxes being shown open; Fig. 1, asection through the clock mechanism looking from the rear and showingparticularly the trip-lever and connections therewith; Fig. 2, a planview of the auxiliary mechanism; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a sectionon the liner") 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a diagram showing the circuitsthrough the auxiliary magnets and 5 the auxiliary circuit-controllingdevices.

In all the above views correspondingparts I are represented by the samenumerals of reference.

1 represents the outer box, having a door 2,

which can be opened by the citizen or patrolman. Within the outer box isan inner box armature.

3, having a door 4.,which can be opened by the fireman or chief. Withinthe inner box is a cylindrical casing 5,containing the clockworkmechanism. This clockwork mechanism is normally locked by a trip-lever6, carrying a lug 7, adapted to engage with openings formed in a rim 8on the main or primary wheel of the clockwork mechanism, as is common.The trip-lever 6 is operated by a hook 9,which projects through anopening in the cover of the inner box. The box shown is provided with anon-interference magnet 10, operating in the well-known way forpreventing interference in the signals. A break-wheel 11 is used,withwhich cooperates a circuit-controlling lever 12, arranged to operatecontacts in the main circuit and by which the desired signal in the formof makes and breaks will be sent over the line. By depressing the hook7o 9, so as to disengage the pin or lug 7 from the engaged opening inthe rim 8, the train will be allowed to start and the signal sent in.After the signal has been transmitted the pin or lug 7 engages the nextslotor opening in the rim 8, and the train is locked from furthermovement.

Mounted on top of the inner box 3 and within the outer box 1 is the base13, carrying the auxiliary mechanism. 14 14 are the auxil- 8o iarymagnets, the armature 15 of which is carried on an arm 16 from arockshaft 17, mounted in suitable bearings upon the base 13. The arm 16is provided with an extension l8,with which an adjusting-screw 19engages to limit the retracted movement of the Carried by the rock-shaft17 at one side of the arm 16 is a latch-arm 20, with which engages anarm 21, carried on a vertically-sliding rod 22. The latch-arm 20 may bedispensed with and the arm 21 may engage with the upper end of thearmaturecarrying arm 16, as will be obvious. The arm 21 is movablevertically between guides 23. The slide 22 works between suitable 5guide-plates 24 and is surrounded by a spring 25,working against a pin26 and by which the slide {will be depressed when the latch'arm 20 ismoved out of engagement with the arm 21. The slide 22 is provided withan exten- I00 sion 27, which passes down through the top of the innerbox 3 and which enters, preferlever 6 to start the box.

ably,the casing 5. This extension is provided on its lower end with anadjustable head 28, which engages an insulating-block carried on theouter end of an auxiliary trip-lever 29, which beyond its fulcrum bearsbeneath a pin 30, carried on the end of the trip-lever 6, whereby whenthe auxiliary magnets 14 are energized to attract theirarmature thewithdrawal of the latch-arm from the arm 21 will permit the spring 25 tomove the slide 22 downward to depress the outer end of the auxiliarytrip-lever 29 and elevate the trip- By employing an auxiliarytrip-lever, which thus elevates the outer end of the trip-lever 6, theleverage obtained permits me to operate the trip-lever by auxiliarymeans against the tension of a heavy restoring-spring 33, as shown.

It is desirable that during the operation of the box in transmitting thesignal the sliding rod 22 should be restored to its normal position,sothat the latch-arm 20 will again engage beneath the arm 21 to hold thelatter elevated. This may be effected in any suitable way. I illustratefor the purpose an arm or extension 34 of the auxiliary trip-lever 29,said arm being adapted to be engaged by pins 35, carried on the rearface of the mainor primary wheel of the clock-train. During thetransmission of each signal and while the box is running one of the pins35 will engage the extension 34 of the auxiliary trip-lever to elevatethe slide 22 and will pass beyond the lower end of said extension beforethe box is again brought to rest by the engagement of the pin or lug 7with one of the slots or openings in the rim 8.

It is desirable that the operator at an auxiliary station should beadvised that a signal transmitted by him to the street-box has beenreceived and that the box has actually oommenced its operation. At thepresent time it is the practice to employ auxiliary circuits which arenormally closed on a comparatively weak battery and to throw into theauxiliary circuit additional batteries sufiicient to oper ate theauxiliary magnets when it is desired to start the street-box inoperation. When the auxiliary circuit is broken, the so-called.trouble-bell at the auxiliary station is sounded,which indicates anintentional or accidental breakage of the auxiliary circuit. With mypresent improvements I break the auxiliary circuit, as is common,at'terthe start ing of the box, whereby the sender at the auxiliary stationwill be advised of that fact by the sounding of the trouble-bell.

Carried by the base 13 is a block of insulating material 36, whichcarries two contacts 37 and 37, forming a break in series with theauxiliary magnets, as shown in Fig. 6, which break may be closed by theengagement of the contact 37 with the contact 37. This closing of thecircuit between these contacts is effected by a pin 38, which is carriedfrom an extension 39 of the arm 21. When the auxiliary magnet isoperated to allow the slide 22 to be depressed by the spring 25, the pin38 will engage the contact 37 to move the same into contact with thecontact 37, thereby closing the auxiliary circuit at this point. Whenthe slide 22 is in itselevated position and is locked by the latch-arm20, the circuit will be broken at the contacts 37 37; but the auxiliarycircuit is kept normally closed through a shunt 40 around the contacts37 37 and including two supplemental contacts 41, which are carried bythe insulating-block 36. A plunger 42, mounted in said block, is adaptedto be moved into contact with the supplemental contact-springs 41 toclose the shunt 40. The plunger 42 is provided with a pin extendingtherethrough and which is engaged by a spring 43. its operative positionto close the shunt 40 at the supplemental contact-springs 41, I form theplunger with a notch 44 therein, with which a small finger 45 engages,said finger being preferably carried by the contact 37% which latter isextended beyond the block 36 and bears upon the extension 18, secured tothe bottom of the arm 16, so as to tend to normallyretract the armature15 of the an xiliary magnets. The plunger 42 extends out through thefront of the block 36 and through an opening in the casing 46, whichincloses the auxiliary mechanism, whereby said plunger may be forcedinward to close the auxiliary circuit at the shunt 40 by a person at thestreetbox.

The operation of a box of the type described equipped with myimprovements will be as follows: When the box is to be tripped by hand,the hook 9 is pulled downward to elevate the trip-lever 6, releasing thepin or lug 7 from one of the openings in the rim 8 and allowing thesignal to be sent in in the usual way. As soon as the signal-wheel 11has made the desired number of turns the pin or lug Twill engage thenext notch in the rim 8, the trip-lever 6 being pulled downward bythe'restoring-spring 33. If it is desired to operate the box from theauxiliary circuit, the auxiliary magnets 14 are energized by throwinginto the auxiliary circuit sufficient extra battery to energize saidmagnets, thereby attracting the armature 15 and withdrawing the iatcharm20 from the arm 21, allowing the spring 25 to depress the slide 22 tooperate the auxiliary trip-lever 29, which elevates the trip-lever 6 andallows the box to start. This movement of the armature 15 elevates theextension 18 and withdraws the finger 45 from the notch 44, whereuponthe spring 43 moves the plunger 42 and breaks the shunt 40 at thesupplemental contactsprings 41. This break of the shunt 40 does notbreak the auxiliary circuit, because the pin 38 will have engaged thecontact-springs 37 37* to close the auxiliary circuit at this point. Theauxiliary circuit therefore remains closed. During the operation of thebox one of the pins 35 will engage the extension 34 of the auxiliarytrip-lever 29 to elevate In order to lock the plunger 42 in theextension 27 and to return the slide 22 to its former position. In thismovement the pin 38 will be withdrawn from the contact 37 allowing theauxiliary circuit to be broken between the contacts 37 and 37, whereuponthe armature 15 will be retracted by the tension of the contact 37bearing upon the extension 18 and the latch-arm 20 will be free to againengage beneath the arm 21. This breaking of the auxiliary circuit alsonotifies the operator at the auxiliary station that the signalhas beenorisbeingactuallytransmitted at the street-box. The auxiliary circuitwill remain broken until the plunger 42 is again pressed inward to closethe shunt 4E0 at the supplemental contact-springs 41, the plunger beinglocked in this position by the engagement of the finger 4:5 with thenotch 44.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip for releasing the same, of an auxiliarymagnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature for said magnet,a slide normally locked in a retracted position by said armature andadapted to operate the trip for the box, a circuit-controlling device inthe'auxiliary circuit, and means controlled by the operation of saidslide for actuating the circuit-controlling device, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip for releasing the same, of an auxiliarymagnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature for said magnet,a slide normally locked in a retracted position by said armature andadapted to operate the trip for the box, contact-springs in series withthe auxiliary magnet, and a pin carried by the slide for closing thecircuit through said springs by the actuation of the slide,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip for releasing the same, of an auxiliarymagnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature for said magnet,a slide normally locked in a retracted position by said armature andadapted to operate the trip forthe box, contact-springs in series withthe auxiliary magnet, a pin carried by the slide for closing the circuitat said springs by the movement of said slide, and a shunt around saidcontact-springs adapted to be broken simultaneously with the closure ofthe circuit at said springs, substantially as set forth.

4E. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip for releasing the same, of an auxiliarymagnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature for said magnet,a slide normally locked in a retracted position by said armature andadapted to operate the trip for the box, contact-springs in series withthe auxiliary magnet, a pin carried by the slide for engaging saidcontact-springs to close the circuit thereat upon the positive movementof the slide, supplemental contactsprings arranged in shunt to the maincontactsprings, and a plunger for closing said shunt at the supplementalcontact-springs, said plunger being released simultaneously with therelease of the slide, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip for releasing the same, of an auxiliarymagnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature for said magnet,a slide normally locked in a retracted position by said armature andadapted to operate the trip for the box, contact-springs in series withthe auxiliary magnet, a pin carried by the slide for engaging saidcontact-springs to close the circuit thereat upon the positive movementof the slide, supplemental contactsprings arranged in shunt to the maincontactsprings, a plunger for closing said shunt at the supplementalcontact-springs, and a finger holding said plunger in position to closesaid shunt and connections between the auxiliary armature and saidfinger substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a street-box containing a normally-woundclockwork mechanism and a trip-lever for releasing the same, of anauxiliary magnet located adjacent to the street-box, the armature forsaid magnet, a slide normally locked in a retracted position by saidarmature, an auxiliary trip-lever engaged by said slide,said auxiliarytrip-lever engagingthe trip-lever at or near its extreme end, an armcarried by said auxiliary triplever, and a pin operated by the clockworkmechanism for engaging said arm to restore the same, substantially asset forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of May, 1900.

BARTHOLOMEW OEHMEN.

Witnesses:

AROHIBALD G. REESE, JNo. R. TAYLOR.

